think she has
only to look at our other company.'

'Ay!' said Charles, 'we want no more explanation of the tone of the
"Thank you," with which he answered the offer to invite his sister.'

'One comfort is, she can't stay long. She has got a committee meeting
for the Ladies' Literary and Scientific Association, and must go home
for it the day after to-morrow,' said Charlotte.

'If you are very good, perhaps she will give you a ticket, Charlotte,'
said her brother, 'and another for Bustle.'

Mrs. Henley was, meanwhile, highly satisfied with the impression she
thought she was making on her aunt's family, especially on Charles and
Charlotte. The latter she patronized, to her extreme though suppressed
indignation, as a clever, promising girl; the former, she discovered to
be a very superior young man, a most valuable assistant to her brother
in his business, and her self-complacency prevented her from finding out
how he was playing her off, whenever neither Philip nor Laura were at
hand to be hurt by it.

She thought Laura a fine-looking person, like her own family, and fit to
be an excellent lady of the house; and in spite of the want of fortune,
she perceived that her brother's choice had been far better than if he
had married that poor pale little Amabel, go silent and quiet that she
never could make a figure anywhere, and had nothing like the substantive
character that her brother must have in a wife.

Could Mrs. Henley have looked behind the scenes she would have
marvelled.

'One kiss for mamma; and one for papa,' was Amy's half-uttered morning
greeting, as she lifted from her cot her little one, with cheeks flushed
by sleep. Morning and evening Amy spoke those words, and was happy in
the double kiss that Mary had learnt to connect with them; happy too
in holding her up to the picture, and saying 'papa,' so that his child
might never recollect a time when he had not been a familiar and beloved
idea.

A little play with the merry child, then came Anne to take her away; and
with a suppressed sigh, Amabel dressed for the first time without her
weeds, which she had promised to leave off on Laura's wedding-day.

'No, I will not sigh!' then she thought, 'it does not put me further
from him. He would be more glad than any one this day, and so I must
show some sign of gladness.'

So she put on such a dress as would be hers for life--black silk, and
face cap over her still plain hair, then with real pleasure she put